Posted on 05/27/2016 5:21:41 AM PDT by HomerBohn
(ANTIMEDIA) United States — “It was one of the scummiest meetings I’ve ever been in,” said Rep. Thomas Massie of a proposal from a lobbyist to help place him in the powerful, influential House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax policy, among other things.
“He pulled me and my chief of staff into a meeting,” Massie told the Cincinnati Enquirer of the lobbyist he refused to identify, but who ‘represents the medical device sector.’ “He offered to raise the money that would be required to get me on Ways and Means. This is a lobbyist telling me he can get me on Ways and Means.”
In essence, Massie explained, the lobbyist wanted to help him win the prominent position in return for future legislation benefiting the lobbyist’s interests. Though such mutual back scratching seems obvious when tracing the money trail, Massie’s comments show how directly the money-infused lobbying, well, racket literally shapes policy.
Perhaps tempting to other politicians, Massie rebuffed the offer — but, for him, it was an epiphanic moment:
“I left just reeling, thinking about the implications for how this place works when you realize that the lobbyists pick who goes on which committee.”
As the Enquirer reported, Massie’s colleagues expressed shock over his account of the meeting, saying they hadn’t encountered anything of its kind before.
“That’s just crazy,” asserted Steve LaTourette, a former Ohio congressman — who now lobbies in Washington. LaTourette claims whether or not a lobbyist might have political pull is of no consequence in helping place specific politicians on any committee. He insists it’s impossible. Each party chooses members for “steering committees,” who then decide who will comprise House committees.
As the Enquirer explained, each party’s “panel also has lawmakers who represent each region of the country, along with committee chairmen and others. They vote on committee assignments, chairmanships, and subcommittee chairmanships in closed-door sessions.”
Whether or not the unidentified politicians’ astonishment amounted to feigned denial could be widely left to interpretation, considering the blurred lines between money and politics — and legislation. Other unidentified congresspeople pointed out that while lobbyists can’t directly aid an individual’s placement on a desirable committee, their influence behind the scenes is palpable.
Campaign Legal Center policy director Meredith McGehee told the Enquirer she’d never heard of an “explicit” offer like Massie’s, but lobbyists do “organize and direct money” for their clients — “corporations, trade groups and nonprofit organizations” — so helping politicians ‘secure’ powerful positions might be the most beneficial way to do so.
“There’s an enormous amount of pressure on K Street-type lobbyists to deliver, and if you don’t your clients get hurt,” she explained.
While, perhaps, such a blatant proposal as was offered to Massie might be highly unusual, lobbyists with familiarity to more seasoned politicians can exert influence if a newer politician makes it onto a panel or into a position of power on a committee.
“Every committee has a constituency,” LaTourette continued, “and if you’re trying to be the chairman of Ways and Means, there are lots of businesses and corporations and hospitals who are really dependent on what sort of product the Ways and Means Committee produces.”
Open Secrets describes the relationship between lobbyists and lawmakers as “complicated. On one hand, lobbyists pursue relationships with lawmakers in order to shape legislation so that it benefits clients who would be affected by new laws and regulations. On the other hand, lobbyists are frequently targeted by lawmakers as sources of campaign money, which the lobbyists feel beholden to give to improve their clients’ prospects of success.”
Voters and the general public view this so-called ‘complicated’ relationship with a high degree of suspicion — precisely because the offer Massie describes wouldn’t seem to be a stretch. Such overt influence over legislation and policy — particularly by behemoth corporations — continues to embitter Americans against the legislative and political process.
The voter wants regulation and taxes on business and the rich, which causes business and the rich to spend money on politics to influence taxes and regulations.
Blame the voter.
This is why the GOP is much less than happy about how things have gone this election cycle. Its not about running the country, its all about losing money and positions of power. They know a Hillary/Bernie presidency ensures status quo.
Since Massie has gone this far in disclosure, why not name the lobbyist? Sunlight is the best disinfectant and all that. Could there be a fear of reprisal?
This can only happen if the lobbyist knows that Speaker Ryan and Chairman of W&M Brady are in on the deal.
I know nothing about Rep. Thomas Massie, but the first sentence in his biography says, he is an engineer and politician first elected in 2012.
The first sentence of the biography of the guy rebutting the charge, Steve LaTourette states that he is a former politician, now a lobbyist in Washington.
That tells me which one I believe.
Businesses are only doing what’s logical: If Washington controls them and the country’s cash, they must go there to influence where their revenues and profits come from.
The only solution?
STARVE THE BEAST!
Term limits would solve this. If the lobbyists could only rent influence instead of buying it outright, the cost would go substantially up. Plus every few years they’d have to corrupt a whole new congress. It would slow down their insidious ways significantly at the very least.
Our complex and corrupt tax code is good part of the cause of corruption in Washington. Everybody wants some benefit from it, and its Byzantine nature means the bureaucrats within it have great political power. A simple flat tax, with no deductions, would help reduce this.
I don’t think people realize how vulnerable businesses are to politicians and bureaucrats.
Businesses are forced to protect themselves.
I don’t know what happened in this instance but lobbyists make a lot of money promising to protect businesses from politicians. They also promise political advantages.
Lobbyists would not be so successful and so highly paid if they were not influencing politicians.
“I know nothing about Rep. Thomas Massie, but the first sentence in his biography says, he is an engineer and politician first elected in 2012.
The first sentence of the biography of the guy rebutting the charge, Steve LaTourette states that he is a former politician, now a lobbyist in Washington.
That tells me which one I believe.”
That was my exact thought as I read the article. The politician turned lobbyist does not want the gravy train to end.
To remove cronyism and bribery from politics you have to...
Decentralize the govt. Tele-commute/conference. Make lobbying VERY expensive. Remove the ability to donate $$ to individuals ONLY (if you can’t vote, you can’t donate).
Restoring the rightful power of govt (Laws are passed by Congress NOBODY else), A1S8 authority as well as the 4th/5th/13th Rights of all Citizens....
This is the evil that lurks within the low lives in Washington DC.
I’m sure heads will roll.
Additionally, enforce all “Influence Peddling” laws to the hilt.
That’s exactly what lobbying by corporate interests is, and the laws regulating and restricting same should be honored.
America is beyond a solution by employing term limits.
With all the garbage coming down the pike and headed directly at we Americans who pay the bills our nation is resembling Madrid in 1936. Communist Russians aren’t sitting in the White Hut yet, but what is squatting there is even worse!
We are allowing ourselves to be ruled by an assortment of pansies, homosexuals, Muslims, characters out of Amos N Andy and what in normal times would be considered what they are: dregs of American society.
All political donations must be ANONYMOUS. They can’t sell influence if they don’t know who is buying. If they are caught trying to find out who the funds came from they should do prison time, as should any lobbyists who disclose that parties they represent funded the candidate or officeholder.
Add term limits to my #18. I've used them together in the past.
Among others swuggested, repeal the law that allows ex-Congressmen direct access to active members. Make 'em have the same access as Joe Citizen, i.e. nil.
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